- link Copy URL - [ Share on X ](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Farmland as the Original Alternative Asset https://www.3blmedia.com/markdownify/node/1313881?absolute=1&via=3blnews "Share on X") - [ Share on linkedin ](https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://www.3blmedia.com/markdownify/node/1313881?absolute=1 "Share on Linkedin") - [ Share on facebook ](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https://www.3blmedia.com/markdownify/node/1313881?absolute=1 "Share on Facebook") - [ email Share via email ](mailto:?subject=Farmland as the Original Alternative Asset &body=ESG News from GreenMoney Journal https://www.3blmedia.com/markdownify/node/1313881?absolute=1 "Share via email") [Socially Responsible Investing](/categories/socially-responsible-investing) # Farmland as the Original Alternative Asset May 18, 2026 10:00 AM ET ![Photo courtesy of Farmland LP](/sites/default/files/styles/carousel_2x/public/images/Farmland%20LP%20article.jpg) ![Average Annual ROI vs. Volatility](/sites/default/files/styles/carousel_2x/public/images/Chart-1.png) ![Organic Food Demand Exceeds Organic Cropland Supply](/sites/default/files/styles/carousel_2x/public/images/Chart-4.png) ![Photo courtesy of Farmland LP](/sites/default/files/styles/carousel_thumbnail_x2/public/images/Farmland%20LP%20article.jpg?h=10d202d3) ![Average Annual ROI vs. Volatility](/sites/default/files/styles/carousel_thumbnail_x2/public/images/Chart-1.png?h=e8a19d87) ![Organic Food Demand Exceeds Organic Cropland Supply](/sites/default/files/styles/carousel_thumbnail_x2/public/images/Chart-4.png?h=fb0552fe) *by Craig Wichner, Farmland LP* Long before private equity firms raised their first fund or real estate investment trusts filed their first prospectus, land was wealth. Farmland is the oldest store of value in human history and the foundation of every economy that followed. Yet today, institutions own less than 2% of U.S. farmland. The entire institutional farmland market, roughly $50 billion, would barely register as a line item against the $33 trillion alternatives industry. Private equity, private credit, and commercial real estate dominate the conversation. Farmland, the original alternative asset, barely gets a seat at the table. That is now starting to change, and the reasons go well beyond nostalgia for a simpler asset class. **The Numbers That Got Their Attention** In 2025, Nuveen launched a $3 billion private farmland REIT, the first of its kind from a major institutional manager. PGIM Real Estate now manages over $10 billion in agriculture. Pension funds, endowments, and sovereign wealth funds are building dedicated farmland allocations for the first time. The performance data explains why. Since 1992, the NCREIF Farmland Index has returned 10.49% annualized, comparable to the S&P 500 which returned 10.65% and commercial real estate 8.33%. And with much less volatility... ***Read more about all of this and the growing $70+ billion Organic marketplace in Craig's full article here*** - ===== [![](/sites/default/files/Clients/GreenMoney-30thLogo.png)](/profiles/greenmoney-journal) ### More from GreenMoney Journal ###### [Investing in the Agri-Food Transition](/news/investing-agri-food-transition) May 6, 2026 8:00 AM ET ###### [The Capital Farmers Actually Need](/news/capital-farmers-actually-need) May 4, 2026 10:00 AM ET ###### [Why a Perpetual Purpose Trust Model Works for Sustainable Investing Firms](/news/why-perpetual-purpose-trust-model-works-sustainable-investing-firms) Apr 15, 2026 11:50 AM ET ###### [Guiding Customers on Their Net Zero Banking Path](/news/guiding-customers-their-net-zero-banking-path) Apr 13, 2026 10:00 AM ET ###### [Sheconomy: What Happens When Women’s Financial Power Shapes the Economy ](/news/sheconomy-what-happens-when-womens-financial-power-shapes-the-economy) Mar 23, 2026 10:00 AM ET ###### [How the Cuban Missile Crisis Sparked a Career in Sustainable Investing: A Conversation With Cheryl Smith](/news/how-cuban-missile-crisis-sparked-career-sustainable-investing-conversation-cheryl-smith) Mar 18, 2026 1:30 PM ET ###### [Powering the Future: Investing in Grid Infrastructure](/news/powering-future-investing-grid-infrastructure) Feb 26, 2026 8:00 AM ET ###### [A Wealth of Uncertainty: Climate Change and Our Financial Well-Being](/news/wealth-uncertainty-climate-change-and-our-financial-well-being) Feb 24, 2026 10:00 AM ET